


see me in hindsight (burn it down)

by theriveroflight



Series: Future [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Black Cat Alix Kubdel, Emotional Hurt, Future Fic, Gen, Platonic Relationships, Texting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-30
Updated: 2019-11-30
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:55:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21622579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theriveroflight/pseuds/theriveroflight
Summary: Say you'll remember meStanding in a nice dressStaring at the sunset, babeRed lips and rosy cheeksSay you'll see me againEven if it's just in yourWildest dreams of our past- Taylor Swift, "Wildest Dreams"
Relationships: Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir
Series: Future [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1546774
Comments: 9
Kudos: 27





	see me in hindsight (burn it down)

**Author's Note:**

> Sequel to "if we're meant to (i'll meet you there)". The class is about 17-18 here, because they're going to uni soon. Written before I watched Miracle Queen, whoops. (Meaning: Fu is still the Guardian, but Marinette is taking over more of the duties.)

On their last patrol, Ladybug sits down next to Chat.

Or Adrien, but it's more familiar as Chat. At least right now it is.

"Well. Fu and I planned out who's going to be you when you're not here. We picked Alix - I figured I should let you know. She is the Rabbit Holder, but she'll make a fair Black Cat holder and we determined that she is a good person for the job." She tries to stay factual, objective, and on-topic.

"I can't say that she'll be bad for the job. Might not be able to sustain Plagg's eating habits, but I'll give her the rest of my stash, and talk to Plagg about cutting back, because his new holder won't be exactly rich. You made a good choice, LB. You always do."

"Except Chloe."

"Everyone makes mistakes."

She snorts. "Well, the rest of the city doesn't think so. They think I can't make mistakes."

"LB, you're good. Perfection isn't good."

"I feel like I have to be perfect, all the time. This whole thing has given me a lot of issues. I wish I could go to uni in the States." It's not meant to be resentful. But there is some pent up resentment- not towards Chat, it's not an issue with him. But there is something, she supposes. Fucking Hawk Moth. That bastard has ruined her life from the first day he akumatized Stoneheart. And now nobody's allowed to feel.

"Hey," he says, probably sensing her distress. "It's okay, Ladybug. I'm here. I have always been here, and guess what? I have something so I can always be with you, too. I know your costume doesn't have pockets, but…” He pulls out a couple burner phones. “I’m in yours as Adrichat because you know who I am and I used my actual number. You’re in mine as Ladybug and she’s in there as Alix 2 until she comes up with a name. She’s in yours as Alix, and you’re in hers as Ladybug. I’m in hers as Chat Noir. That way we can all talk. I’ll be keeping up with the Ladyblog, too. You won’t be losing me, milady.”

“You’ll be away, but you won’t be gone. That’s the point of this, right? And because my suit doesn’t have pockets, I have in essence a black hole in my yo-yo. Hand over the phones.”

He does, and she opens up the yo-yo to put them in. “Alix already knows that she’s being asked to take over for you. She doesn’t know who you are - at least not yet, she might have learned during a screwy time incident that you don’t know about it and even  _ I  _ don’t know all the details about. That happened when we were still kids in college, though. Time is weird. She spends a lot of time in the Burrow, though. We can communicate through communicators, but she still has to abandon her Burrow for a while to watch. There’s a lot with the Miraculous that you don’t see and I don’t always understand.”

“You know what? Time travel is fucked up. Don’t worry about it. I’m sure the space-time continuum is fine.” She’s almost reassured by that, except Chat doesn’t know what he’s talking about.

“Your friend is throwing a going-away party, right?”

He chuckles, bringing his hand up to the back of his neck. “Well, a picnic. Are you going to stop by?”

“I might make an appearance. But seriously - I do need to get the Miraculous from you, and I want to give you as much time with Plagg as possible for my schedule. I don’t know about your flight, and Ladybug visiting an airport would be overly chaotic, so we’re going to go with a  _ no  _ on me at the send-off and just heading to your picnic instead. What time?”

“It starts at eleven, but if you’re just stopping by you can show up around noon. In two days.”

Ladybug smiles. “I’ll see you at noon two days from now. And of course, we can text in between.”

“See you later, LB.”

He stands up at the same time as her, and they part ways in separate directions.

* * *

**Ladybug → Adrichat, Alix**

**Ladybug:** I took the initiative and decided to make a group chat for us.

**Alix:** I think I figured out the name I’m going to take. what do you think of Cimitière?

**Adrichat:** a bit...grave, don’t you think?

**Ladybug:** I like it. And I’m also going to ignore that, Chat.

**Adrichat:** oh come on that was BRILLIANT

**Alix:** It really wasn’t

* * *

Marinette is at the picnic, of course, making it harder for Ladybug to come out. But about an hour into the picnic, Marinette has to “check on something,” and Ladybug comes out.

“Wait, is this what Marinette disappeared for? So she could fetch  _ Ladybug? _ ” Alya says stunned.

“Hey, I heard you were going away,” she says to Adrien. He plops the ring in her hand. She doesn’t see Plagg, but thinks she feels something in one of her pigtails.

“Yeah, I am.”

“Good luck in the states. Bug out!”

And she doesn’t go far, before transforming back to Marinette and walking back to the party.

Before she does, she places the ring in her bag, and lets Plagg find a better hiding place than inside her hair.

She makes up her excuses and tries not to feel too bad about it.

* * *

Cimitière’s debut is during a reakumatization of Monsieur Rat. Not the flashiest debut, but it  _ is  _ a start. And an easy akuma is just the right place.

“Alright, B-A-what’s your name?”

“Call me Cimitière.” It’s a ploy - for the sake of the public and Alya probably recording.

“Cimitière, we’re going to defeat this guy easily. Just gotta get that hat. It’ll be easy - especially since you’re not allergic to rats.”

Chat was allergic to pigeons. It meant that Ladybug had to do most of the work - but since Mr. Ramier switched targets, they’ve been able to beat him in record time.

She whispers the plan. “Extend your staff, use it as a bat to knock it out. I’ll catch it with my yo-yo, and it’ll be over.”

“At your command, Ladybug.” Cimitière hides.

“Now!” She grips her yo-yo as the staff pokes the hat off his head. He fumbles to catch it, but Ladybug snatches it with precision before he can catch it.

She rips the hat apart, dropping the two pieces to the ground. She lets the akuma flit a bit, and then catches it, releasing the purified butterfly.

“Lucky Charm!” she says, to have something to throw in the air. It’s a stuffed dog. She realizes just what to do.

“Miraculous Ladybug!” Ladybug calls, repairing everything that was broken, including poor Mr. Ramier’s hat.

Ladybug holds out her fist.

Cimitière, at the last second, changes her hand so it forms a turkey instead. “Pound it!” and “Turkey.” both ring in the air, two separate statements.

“I didn’t want to disrupt your...your tradition, so Chat and I talked about it. Turkey is the solution.” Ladybug almost laughs, but doesn’t.

“Could I treat you to the usual ice cream?”

Cimitière looks confused, but Ladybug steps in. “Mr. Ramier is kind enough to have ice cream with Chat and I after we deakumatize him because it normally doesn’t take long and the only reason I need my lucky charm is to heal everything.”

“Well, who am I to refuse?” she says, following Ladybug and Mr. Ramier.

* * *

**Ladybug → Adrichat**

**Ladybug:** Alix started out today.

**Adrichat:** just saw the Ladyblog report, normally Alya doesn’t bother when Ramier gets akumatized but the debut of a new superhero is big

**Ladybug:** I had to abandon her to the interviewing whims of Alya because I had to detransform after ice cream.

**Adrichat:** yeah, that’s one perk of the job

**Ladybug:** I’m going to address the elephant in the room and ask you: why the turkey?

**Adrichat:** to differentiate us. to prove that cimitalix is a different person from adrichat

**Ladybug:** Cimitialix is a better name than Cimitalix

**Adrichat:** it really isn’t

**Ladybug:** I miss you. Like, don’t take that the way it would in any other context be taken please

**Adrichat:** I understand. America’s been fun, but it’s also been exhausting. my roommate’s good, though. and my knowledge of English gets me by. east coast, so don’t worry about me sleeping. It’s only about 7 here. already ate

**Ladybug:** Wow, I had lunch before the attack and ice cream

**Adrichat:** yeah I did the math and since the US is on daylight savings time we go back another hour from you guys so now we’re six hours ahead

**Ladybug:** How’s the jet lag been?

**Adrichat:** surprisingly, I haven’t mad much. might just be because I traveled a lot, could be my age

**Adrichat:** *had

**Ladybug:** That’s good. Good luck, Adrien.

**Adrichat:** You too, milady.

* * *

Marinette goes to fashion school. And it’s...surprisingly entertaining.

Nobody knows what  _ actually  _ happened to Chat, just that he’s gone, and sometimes he returns for a bit if only to go away again.

Cimitière does a good job.  _ Alix  _ does a good job.

But it never stops.

And Marinette is the only person with the true burden of knowledge.

She wishes that she was ignorant. That she didn’t know.

But she did. And now...now she was alone.

* * *

**Ladybug → Adrichat**

**Ladybug:** I know that you’re asleep now

**Ladybug:** But promise me that you’ll remember our time working through together.

**Ladybug:** Our time as partners.

**Ladybug:** Just...promise me that you’ll remember me. Remember us.

  
**Adrichat:** I promise, Ladybug.


End file.
